Going to Bao La market amidst “chá” bamboo shoot season

6/13/2018 - 2:55:55 PM

(HBO) - Ending the bitter bamboo shoot season, after heavy rains, Thai ethnic minority people in Bao La commune (Mai Chau district) prepare to go to high mountains covered by white clouds to find wild-growing "chá” bamboo shoot - a specialty in the locality, which is as big as a finger of an adult. Therefore, it is also called "finger" shoot.

A woman is purchasing "chá” bamboo shoots in a market in Bao La commune (Mai Chau district)

"Chá” bamboo shoots sold in the market are wrapped in bundles, with the finger-sized bamboo shoots, which are about 20cm in length.

We stopped in front of Mrs. Ha Thi Nhua’s basket of shoots in Van hamlet, Pieng Ve commune. After two days of digging bamboo shoots on mountain slopes, today, along with bags of tomatoes, and papaya flowers, Nhua brought nearly 20 bunches of bamboo shoots to the market. Bundles of bamboo shoots are sold at 10,000 VND/bunch.

"I do not know what they are called in the plain region, but here we call them ‘chá’ bamboo shoots”. This kind of bamboo shoot wildly grow on mountains with only one crop a year, and each crop lasts 2-3 months,” she said.

The "chá” bamboo shoots grow at the end of the bitter bamboo shoot season when it rains along with wet weather. "This is the best kind of bamboo shoot here”, Nhua said.

To farmers in communes in the region, from ancient times, the "chá” bamboo shoot is very familiar.

Mr. Ha Van Hoan, in Bao hamlet, Bao La commune, said the "chá” bamboo shoots wildly grow in high areas. For a long time, local farmers have cut the trees to fence. In this area, the shoots grow in some mountain ranges such as Bao La, Cun Pheo, especially in Ve and Van hamlets in Pieng Ve commune.

"We often cook popular foods from the bamboo shoots, mainly boiled or baked and eat with salt, or make soup. No matter how it is cooked, it has its own flavour, unlike other types of bamboo shoots,” Hoan said.

The Bao La market usually disperses at about 10:00. We were fortunate to buy some bunches of bamboo shoots. Indeed, this is a delicious food.

If they are not boiled, the bamboo shoots are slightly bitter and a little sweet. Those who cannot eat bitter bamboo shoots can still enjoy the "chá” bamboo shoots./.

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